Legal Definitions - disorderly house

Disorderly house

Disorderly house is a legal charge that is mostly outdated. It is used against someone who is causing a disturbance to the surrounding area by repeatedly engaging in activities that are disturbing or endangering to the neighborhood. The most common charge of disorderly house is for using a house as a brothel. Other actions that could lead to a disorderly house charge include dealing controlled substances or hosting gambling in a house. The behavior must be repetitive to trigger a disorderly house charge, like other forms of nuisance.

One example of a disorderly house is a brothel. If someone is repeatedly using their house as a place for prostitution, they could be charged with disorderly house. Another example is if someone is repeatedly hosting illegal gambling in their house. This could also lead to a disorderly house charge. Additionally, if someone is repeatedly dealing drugs out of their house, they could be charged with disorderly house.

These examples illustrate how disorderly house charges are used against people who are repeatedly engaging in activities that are disturbing or endangering to the neighborhood. The behavior must be ongoing and repetitive to trigger a disorderly house charge.